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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30048189">I Hate This Feeling You've Given Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlushieW/pseuds/SlushieW'>SlushieW</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Elf, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Fluff, M/M, Merlin is a Little Shit (Merlin), Merlin is an elf, Not Planned In Advance, Oblivious Merlin (Merlin), Pining Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Protective Arthur, Soft Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Uther Pendragon's A+ Parenting (Merlin), elf au, not that graphic the warning is there just in case, we'll see how it goes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:27:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,694</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30048189</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlushieW/pseuds/SlushieW</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur Pendragon is the one and only son of Uther Pendragon, the great king of Camelot. He has been raised to hate magic, despise it, under the guise of his father. All he has ever known of it is the evil it can do - he has never learned of the good it can do. Griffins, unicorns, elves, everything... he has been raised to want to destroy it all.</p>
<p>But one day, while out on one of his frequent hunting trips, he splits off from the rest of his group - and runs almost immediately into the deadly creature known as the Questing Beast. His sword and crossbow is useless against it, and as it bears down on him, he accepts his fate. That is, until out of nowhere, an elf appears and blasts it away with a burst of magic.</p>
<p>Of course, the elf is immediately arrested and marked for execution, but Arthur can't help but think that Uther is wrong about this choice in particular. And there's something else this elf makes him feel entirely, but he can't quite put his finger on it...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Hate This Feeling You've Given Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This hasn't been outlined whatsoever, I only have a vague idea of how this will end, and zero idea how long it'll be. I just hope it turns out okay haha. Please enjoy this first chapter!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Arthur hated it here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was bored. Absolutely bored. Shut up in this stinking room with nothing to do but listen to his tutor drone on and on about politics that he cared nothing about. He stared blankly up at the withered old man, his eyes half-closed and his chin propped up on his palm. His tutor was saying something or other about customs in Mercia, but he wasn’t absorbing a word of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door banged open behind him and he spun around, grateful for the distraction. Uther Pendragon strode in, his hands clasped behind his back and his head held high. “Arthur,” he greeted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arthur bowed as best he could, turned backwards in his chair. “Father.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Uther glanced at the tutor, who had dropped to one knee in a deep bow the second Uther had entered. “Leave us,” he ordered in a booming voice. The man scrambled to his feet and hurried out the open door with a muttered, “Yes, my Lord.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as the door clicked shut, Arthur practically leaped out of his seat to stand in front of Uther. “Oh, thank you, Father, you have no idea how incredibly </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrid</span>
  </em>
  <span> these lessons are. I- Is there something wrong?” He paused to take in the lines forming in his father’s face, his own brow furrowing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There have been reports of some sort of creature near the south gate,” Uther replied. “Some believe it to be a monster of some kind, and the people are beginning to worry. I want you to lead a group out to find this creature and kill it. I don’t want rumors spreading too far north.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arthur could barely keep the grin of excitement that sprouted over his features from growing too large, and he gave his father another short bow. “I will gather my finest hunters, Sire.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.” Uther nodded sharply. “I expect a report of your success by dawn tomorrow. Do not return empty handed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arthur waited until his father had left the room, and then quickly bundled his cloak into his arms and hurried down the opposite hallway.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>---</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The thundering of hooves on the beaten path and the faint clinking of chain links filled his ears as he and his hunters rode for the forest that surrounded Camelot. Already he could feel his blood beginning to rush in his ears, and with a sharp “Hyah!”, he snapped the reins. Llamrei huffed, tossed her head, and sped onward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He and his men paused at the edge of the forest. Behind him, one of the horses winnied and snorted. Arthur hefted his crossbow and adjusted the sword at his hip, then looked over his shoulder at the rest of the hunters. “Ready?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He received only silent nods, and rolled his eyes to himself. These men could learn to lighten up a little - it was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>hunt</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it was meant to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and in the meantime, they had the chance to defend Camelot and bring more honor to their names. He would have thought his men could afford to be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> more excited. They were bringing him down. “Right, then,” he called flatly, untangling his shoes from the stirrups and sliding off of Llamrei. “Let’s go.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They slunk after him into the undergrowth, keeping low and treading as quietly as their armor and the dead leaves underfoot would allow. “Sire.” The hushed whisper came from behind him, and he paused, gritting his teeth to keep from snapping at the speaker, and turned to look at his group.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? What is it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Er-” The speaker, a tall, well-built man with a trim beard and dark hair glanced around at his companions and cleared his throat before continuing. “Sire, do you know… exactly what we’re looking for?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sir Colgregan, was it?” Arthur asked, squinting at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Sire.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, yes, good. Well, I thought it might be, you know, something that doesn’t look like a </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal</span>
  </em>
  <span> woodland creature. Not a deer, or a boar, hm? Maybe… maybe something with a snake head, and a monkey’s body.” A light chuckle escaped him, and then died as his expression cleared and settled into something of annoyance, and he threw his hands in the air. “Something </span>
  <em>
    <span>not normal</span>
  </em>
  <span>, dammit. Does that clear it up for you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-yes, of course, Sire. My apologies.” Colgregan ducked his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arthur stared at him a moment longer before turning away with a snort. “Good. Let’s keep moving. And if </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>-” he spins around again to give his men a sharp look - “interrupts us again, I will personally feed you to whatever beast it is we’re hunting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He started to push forward again, but the snap of a branch made him freeze. He held up a hand to tell his men to stop, and cocked his head slightly to the side, listening.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another </span>
  <em>
    <span>crack </span>
  </em>
  <span>sounded just behind him - or was it above him? There was a splintering of wood and bark, and Arthur had just enough time to duck and roll out of the way. The tree slammed down where he had been moments before, and he slid his sword from its scabbard. His men did the same, staring up at the canopy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A snarl shook the very earth he kneeled on, and he spun to meet the thunderous noise with the point of his sword. A giant beast flashed past him, crashing into the ground, and he got the quickest glimpse of golden fur and huge claws before it whipped around to bare its fangs again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arthur stumbled back, his throat closing in on itself. Yellow eyes bored into his own, set into a scaled face. The snake’s head arched back, its hood flaring open, its tongue slipping through bared, shining fangs. For a moment it held eerily still. Arthur could feel his hands shaking, even wrapped as tightly around the hilt of his sword as they were.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a haunting shriek, the beast lunged for him again. Once again, Arthur ducked and rolled out of the way with a sharp intake of breath. He turned to face it, only to see it swipe one giant paw toward his men. It struck two of them square in the chest, and they flew backwards into the trees. Arthur swore he could hear bones snap, and when they collapsed in the dirt, they didn’t get up again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get out of here!” he shouted to the others. “Gather the army! I’ll fend this thing off by myself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But, Sire-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>GO!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He interrupted Colgregan with a sharp wave of his sword.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t have the chance to see them leave. A force slammed into him from the side, driving the breath from his lungs and his body into the ground. He felt something crack, heard it, and one hand flew to his ribs. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit… that’s going to hurt.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rolled back over with a groan, a cough, and could hardly muster the strength to lift his sword at the beast. Its head was bent low, its yellow eyes shining, its fangs dripping with drool as its mouth slowly opened.</span>
</p>
<p><span>He’d dropped his crossbow somewhere behind it. He couldn’t gather the strength to hold up his sword and strike it down - trying to, sent arcs of fire over his ribs. The beast bore down on him, jaws wide open. Jaws that looked as if they could swallow him whole. No. </span><em><span>No.</span></em><span> He was the crown prince of Camelot, its one and only heir. He wasn’t meant to die like this!</span><span><br/></span> <span>But it seemed this creature had other ideas.</span></p>
<p>
  <span>He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling tears begin to prick at their corners - and then, even through his closed eyes, a bright flash of light nearly blinded him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He brought up one hand to shield his eyes, as someone began shouting in an incomprehensible language. The beast </span>
  <em>
    <span>screamed</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a blood-curdling, ear-piercing sound, and with a pained shout of his own, he dropped his sword and clasped both hands over his ears. He remained as such, doubled over despite the pain flaring through his ribs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed like an eternity before the noise and light subsided, but when it finally did, he dared to risk lowering his hands and opening his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Standing before him, their palms outstretched toward the beast, which had fallen, smoking, to the ground in a heap. Arthur’s breath hitched in his throat as the robed figure turned to him, lowered their hood to revealing blue eyes inlaid with glowing gold, dark curled hair tied back in a thick braid down their back…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>… and pointed ears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instinctively his hand went to the hilt of his sword again. He knew magic when he saw it, knew an</span>
  <em>
    <span> elf</span>
  </em>
  <span> when he saw it. The glow in this figure’s eyes, their tapered ears, the strange language. No, this was magic, pure and simple, in its finest form.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he watched, the gold in the figure’s eyes flickered and faded. And then their eyes, now a brilliant shade of blue, rolled into the back of their head. Then they collapsed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arthur was left shaking, staring, breathing heavily, his fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword until the point they hurt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Behind him, the clanking of armor grew louder and then stopped altogether. “Arthur!” The shout of his father seemed to snap him from his trance, and he scrambled up as he was tugged to his feet. “Arthur, thank God you’re alright! What happened? I came as quickly as I heard, I-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His father cut himself off as he followed Arthur’s gaze, to the figure collapsed on the forest floor, and then to the smoking beast only a short distance away. His voice took on a certain edge when he spoke again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Arthur?” he repeated. “What happened here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It- came out of nowhere,” Arthur stammered. “Attacked us, killed two of my men, nearly- It nearly killed me. And then this… elf. It- they- it just appeared. Saved my life.”</span>
</p>
<p><span>Uther stared down at the elf in silence. “Soldiers,” he said after a moment. “Seize the elf. Arthur, get yourself to Gauis and have him look over you.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Arthur watched in blank silence as two soldiers yanked the elf off the ground.</span></p>
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